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1. |
Does your
organization have a policy regarding the handling of
allegations or suspicion of abuse of children in schools
operated by you or schools where the children of your
missionaries are sent? |
Yes |
All reports
come to the Child Safety Officer
cso.io@aimint.net |
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2. |
If you have a written policy, would
you provide us with a copy of that policy?
Please attach your policy to the
questionnaire. |
Yes |
Child Safety
Policy |
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3. |
How does your organization define
abuse? Full definitions in
our
Child Safety Policy |
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4. |
Is your policy
disseminated to the missionaries serving under your board as
well as to school staff and any others who are entrusted
with the care of the children of your missionaries? |
Yes |
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If so, how is it disseminated?
Our policy was revised and finalized
in Nov 2010 according to the Child Safety Protection Network
best Practice Standards. We are in the process during
2011/12 of providing training to all our leaders and then to
all our mission personnel. This is happening at orientation
training, conferences and specifically designed sessions. We
are working on a training DVD which will summarize our
policy and code of conduct. |
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5. |
What happens when it is alleged or
suspected that an adult abused a child who is
currently or was formerly part of a missionary community?
A written report by any adult or
leader to AIM’s child Safety officer will trigger an
investigation by trained team. |
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Who investigates the allegation?
We would set up an initial preliminary
investigative team together with at least one trained member
of another agency to ensure accountability, impartiality and
as an independent witness.
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Is it reported
to any outside agency? |
Yes |
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If so, to what
agency or agencies? |
This will
depend on outcome of the investigation. |
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If the
allegation is substantiated, is the investigation broadened? |
Yes |
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If so, to
whom? |
we would look
for collateral witnesses and other victims |
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If the allegation is substantiated,
who is informed? The
sending church of the offender, the statutory authorities in
the home country and any professional bodies with whom the
perpetrator is associated. |
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If the perpetrator is dismissed, who
is informed? The
missionary community, the sending church leadership, and
anybody else with professional links to the offender ie
teaching body, medical association. |
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6. |
What provisions are made for
appropriate treatment for the victim?
AIM will take responsibility for the
follow up care of victims and their families in helping to
ascertain what their needs are. This may involve
psychological assessments, ongoing therapy and counseling.
We would respond to the individuals needs on a case by case
basis in communication with the family and guided by
professional advice. |
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7 |
What happens when it is alleged or
suspected that an older child abused a younger
child who is currently part of a missionary community?
When a report of sexual abuse is
made to the CSO, a preliminary investigation will be carried
out leading to an extended investigation if necessary. The
age difference between the victim and offender –ie of three
years or more, will determine if this is abuse or
inappropriate behavior. Both will lead to a statement of
Findings and Action Plan |
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Who investigates the allegation?
This is the same process as described
above for an adult offender/child victim |
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Is it reported
to any outside agency? |
No |
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If so, to what
agency or agencies? |
this will
depend on the age difference as defined above and level of
current risk |
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If the
allegation is substantiated, is the investigation broadened? |
Yes |
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If yes, who is
contacted? |
as above for
adult offender |
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If the allegation of abuse is
substantiated, who is informed?
|
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Who decides whether or when the
juvenile perpetrator is psychologically fit to be allowed
back into the school (or dorm or mission hostel, etc.) where
the abuse took place?
If the offender is more than three
years older than the victim, they will be removed from the
immediate setting in order to avoid further abuse. An action
plan will be followed through by both offender and parents.
There will be close supervision of the follow-through on
this plan. The decision as to whether an offender can return
to the environment is a serious one which will require a
psychological assessment and evidence that progress has been
made by the offender in understanding the extremely serious
nature of abuse. |
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Is psychological therapy made
available to the juvenile perpetrator?
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Yes |
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Is
psychological therapy made available to the child who was
abused? |
Yes |
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Are the
parents of the perpetrator and the child who was abused
counseled? |
Yes |
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If so, are
family members free to see therapists of their own choosing? |
Yes |
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8. |
When an adult (former MK) alleges that
he or she was abused as a child by a missionary
caretaker, what procedures are in place to
investigate the allegation?
Again the process is the same for the
above types of abuse. AIM has no statute of limitations and
therefore will investigate any report however long ago the
incident occurred. |
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Who conducts the investigation?
(Please speak to the affiliation,
credentials, training and manner of the investigation.)
The process will be carried out by
trained investigators together with an independent
investigative member of an outside agency. We will follow
through the process as outlined in our procedures and
policies manual. We use the same protocol for both historic
and current reports. |
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Who will be contacted and interviewed?
We would proactively attempt to
contact any other collateral witnesses or victims,
recognizing that it is their right to do so in their own
time, and that the decision to bring a report forward may be
traumatic. |
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Will the
investigators attempts to contact and interview all
adult former MKs and others who, because they were once in
the alleged perpetrator's care or lived in close proximity
to him or her, were vulnerable to abuse? |
Yes,
absolutely |
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When an allegation of abuse is found
to have validity, what is the process for investigating the
allegation? The
preliminary investigation will ensure that the report has
credibility (that is establishing that the facts/dates and
circumstances mean that abuse could have happened). Then
this will move into an Extended Investigation according to
our procedures. |
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If the
allegation is substantiated, who is informed? |
The mission
community who are affected, our mission leadership, the
sending office and home churches, professional bodies of the
offender |
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Is it reported
to any outside agency? |
Yes |
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If so, to what
agency or agencies? |
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If the perpetrator is currently
employed at a school, church, or other institution where he
or she has contact with children, who is responsible for
informing the employer about the perpetrator's history of
abuse? The Child Safety
Officer will produce a statement via the Director of the
Sending office
Who in your organization is
responsible for ensuring that the perpetrator does not again
gain employment in a school, church, or other institution
where he or she would have access to children?
Our statement of findings will
outline our recommendations but we have no judicial
authority for prohibiting the offender’s future contact with
children other than ensuring that all the appropriate
authorities are aware of the fact that the person has been
dismissed from our organisations and the reason why. |
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9. |
What steps are taken to help the
victim heal? All possible
steps will be taken to help the victim to find healing,
initially through therapy and ongoing counseling as needed. |
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Is
psychological therapy available to the abuse victim? |
Yes |
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If so, is the
therapist of the victim’s choosing? |
Yes |
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What support services will be made
available to the parents and siblings of the abused
survivor?
On a case by case basis these will
be offered and encouraged. |
